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alnicholl77's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder, Alcoholism, and Alcohol
bookishvampiratelycan's review against another edition
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence, Alcoholism, Death of parent, Suicidal thoughts, and Alcohol
g_monaghan's review against another edition
dark
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Stalking
Moderate: Death of parent, Grief, Murder, Alcoholism, and Sexual violence
Minor: Body horror
anothergirlanotherbook's review
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Death of parent, Murder, Stalking, and Grief
partly_stars's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
That was a good book. A story about obsession, grief, death and true crime un modern society. Mostly obsession.
It was a dark read that still felt emotionally grounded in the reality. Both women are kinda fucked up in their own ways. Laura - self destructive in her grief and loneliness, drawning her pain in alcohol. It did really feel like an interesting portrayal of what trauma can do to a person. Roach - truly a creep with obsessive interest in Laura. Justyfing everything she does in her mind, bot being abke to comprehend emotional states of other people.
Both of them flawed but also with things that make the reader emotionally invested in them. One a car goin full speed towards a cliff, the other - a creepy-crawler that lives in her own version of reality.
I could abalyse them both which goes to say that I feel that it was quite a belivable portrayal if the characters. People felt real, the discussion about true crime media is to be had, the backdrop of running a chain bookstore is interesting. I can see that the author worked in Waterstones for a while haha
Would recommend
It was a dark read that still felt emotionally grounded in the reality. Both women are kinda fucked up in their own ways. Laura - self destructive in her grief and loneliness, drawning her pain in alcohol. It did really feel like an interesting portrayal of what trauma can do to a person. Roach - truly a creep with obsessive interest in Laura. Justyfing everything she does in her mind, bot being abke to comprehend emotional states of other people.
Both of them flawed but also with things that make the reader emotionally invested in them. One a car goin full speed towards a cliff, the other - a creepy-crawler that lives in her own version of reality.
I could abalyse them both which goes to say that I feel that it was quite a belivable portrayal if the characters. People felt real, the discussion about true crime media is to be had, the backdrop of running a chain bookstore is interesting. I can see that the author worked in Waterstones for a while haha
Would recommend
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Alcoholism, and Vomit
perksofbeingemily's review against another edition
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Death of parent, Murder, Alcoholism, Death, Gaslighting, and Stalking
isb_'s review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
4.5
Wow. Just wow. This book was an unnerving, grotesque, intriguing, mind-effing wonder. I felt so deeply connected to the characters that it was easy to slip into the dark world Alice Slater has created here. Obsession is a powerful thing, and this book will not soon leave my mind.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Vomit, Injury/Injury detail, Infidelity, Eating disorder, Alcoholism, Gore, Gaslighting, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual content, Stalking, Blood, Body horror, and Murder
beckkopp's review
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
I would hardly call this a thriller, but after I got over a quarter through, I found myself attached to the characters and interested in seeing what happened. The author clearly loves developing complicated relationships among characters - my only issue is that most of the characters are so unlovable. We get it, Roach is not like other girls. She never has to learn from any lessons or apologize for any mistakes. A bit unrealistic and took away from the overall message I believe the author was trying to share.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Stalking and Murder
Moderate: Alcoholism
Minor: Eating disorder
rkatw's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I think the ruminations on true crime were really interesting.
Was sucked in immediately and finished reading in less than 24 hours. Thought the dual narrative was good, even though I definitely preferred one character over another, helped to really highlight their contrast and they key misunderstandings Roach has about Laura.
Was so tense as I reached the book's conclusion.
Was sucked in immediately and finished reading in less than 24 hours. Thought the dual narrative was good, even though I definitely preferred one character over another, helped to really highlight their contrast and they key misunderstandings Roach has about Laura.
Was so tense as I reached the book's conclusion.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder and Grief
Moderate: Alcoholism
Minor: Violence
thebookcident's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I don't often read crime/ thrillers, but I really enjoyed this one. The switching POV helped give me a needed break from each character and added to the tension. I think Slater had done a great job of creating two distinct voices for each character, that each leaves the reader feeling a certain way. Both of the protagonists are heavily flawed and I would say unlikeable, which I quite liked. I don't need to like a character to want to read them.
I found lots of visually evoking imagery was used that rinsed my pallet from the darker themes in this novel.
Also, Slater really captures the feeling of being a retail working over the Xmas period PERFECTLY. 😅
Would recommend as a summer read.
I found lots of visually evoking imagery was used that rinsed my pallet from the darker themes in this novel.
Also, Slater really captures the feeling of being a retail working over the Xmas period PERFECTLY. 😅
Would recommend as a summer read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gaslighting, Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, Blood, Death, Grief, Rape, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Addiction, Alcohol, and Alcoholism